Method and apparatus for securely printing an indicia image in multiple passes including an enhancement pass

Abstract

A method for printing an enhanced postal indicia image on a mailpiece utilizing a postage meter having a printing mechanism including a plurality of nozzles that deposit an ink in a dot-matrix pattern includes moving the printing mechanism and the mailpiece relative to each other over a first swath area on the mailpiece; selectively energizing the nozzles during step A) thereby printing a dot-matrix pattern of a postal indicia within the first swath area; moving the printing mechanism and the mailpiece relative to each other over a second swath area on the mailpiece, the second swath area in overlapping relationship with the first swath area; and selectively energizing the nozzles during step C) for printing a dot-matrix pattern of selected portions of the postal indicia which is complimentary to the dot-matrix pattern of the postal indicia such that a dot-matrix pattern of the enhanced postal indicia is produced by a combination of the dot-matrix pattern of the postal indicia and the dot-matrix pattern of selected portions of the postal indicia.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for printing an enhanced postal indicia image on a mailpiece utilizing a postage meter having a printing mechanism including a plurality of nozzles that deposit an ink in a dot-matrix pattern, the method comprising the steps of: A) moving the printing mechanism and the mailpiece relative to each other along a first direction over a first swath area on the mailpiece;   B) selectively energizing the nozzles during step A) thereby printing a dot-matrix pattern of a postal indicia within the first swath area;   C) shifting the printing mechanism and the mailpiece relative to each other along a second direction transverse to the first direction and then moving the printing mechanism and the mailpiece relative to each other along the first direction over a second swath area on the mailpiece, the second swath area in overlapping relationship with the first swath area; and   D) selectively energizing the nozzles during step C) for printing a dot-matrix pattern of selected portions of the postal indicia which is complementary to the dot-matrix pattern of the postal indicia such that a dot-matrix pattern of the enhanced postal indicia is produced by a combination of the dot-matrix pattern of the postal indicia and the dot-matrix pattern of selected portions of the postal indicia.   
     
     
       2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the postal indicia includes graphical elements and numerical elements. 
     
     
       3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein during step D) the dot-matrix pattern of selected portions of the postal indicia include at least portions of the graphical elements. 
     
     
       4. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein during step D) the dot-matrix pattern of selected portions of the postal indicia include at least portions of the numerical elements. 
     
     
       5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the dot matrix pattern of selected portions of the postal indicia is not visually recognizable as a valid postal indicia. 
     
     
       6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the nozzles are aligned in a single row which is substantially perpendicular to relative movement between the printing mechanism and the mailpiece. 
     
     
       7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the ink deposited is a single color. 
     
     
       8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the printing mechanism is a single printhead. 
     
     
       9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the plurality of nozzles are aligned along a straight path. 
     
     
       10. A method for securely printing an image indicative of a postal value on a recording medium, the method comprising the steps of: A) printing, via a single printhead, a dot matrix pattern of at least a portion of the image in a first swath area of the recording medium by moving the printhead and the recording medium along a first direction relative to each other; and   B) shifting the single printhead transverse to the first direction and then printing, via the single printhead, a dot-matrix pattern of selected portions of the image in at least a second swath area of the recording medium which overlaps the first swatch area by moving the printhead and the recording medium along the first direction relative to each other such that a combination of the dot-matrix pattern of the at least a portion of the image and the dot matrix pattern of selected portions of the image result in a final dot-matrix pattern of the image having a predetermined dot density.   
     
     
       11. A method according to claim 10, wherein during step A) a first dot matrix pattern of the image is printed, the first dot-matrix pattern having a dot density which is less than the predetermined dot density, and during step B) the first dot matrix pattern is selectively enhanced by the printing of the dot-matrix pattern of selected portions of the image. 
     
     
       12. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the final dot-matrix pattern has a varying dot density in at least one of the height direction and the length direction of the image. 
     
     
       13. An apparatus for securely printing a postal indicia image on a mailpiece, the apparatus comprising: a printing mechanism which is movably mounted in the apparatus, the printing mechanism including means for printing in a dot-matrix pattern; and   means for controlling relative movement between the printing mechanism and the mailpiece and for synchronizing energizing of the printing mechanism with relative movement between the printing mechanism and the mailpiece such that during a first pass between the mailpiece and the printing mechanism the printing mechanism prints a dot-matrix pattern of the postal indicia image and during a second pass between the mailpiece and the printing mechanism a dot matrix pattern of selected portions of the postal indicia image is printed in overlapping relationship to the dot-matrix pattern of the postal indicia image so that an appearance of the dot matrix pattern of the postal indicia image is enhanced.